Today's Labour News

This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.

Did murdered mineworker strike deal with state to implicate fellow Marikana co-accused?

Details

Monday, 23 October 2017 09:54

City Press writes that recently murdered mineworker Tholakele Dlunga may have paid with his life for being suspected of planning to implicate his co-accused in multiple murders seen during the violent Lonmin strike in 2012.

There was apparently a rumour across Marikana and Lonmin mines that Dlunga was about to strike a deal with the state in what would have seen him testify against his co-accused. Dlunga and 16 others were charged with the killings of two police officers, two Lonmin security officials and some mine workers few days before the fateful 16 August 2012 massacre during which 34 striking Lonmin workers were killed by the police. Dlunga faced other charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm. The word was that one of the accused men, Anele Zonke, was strongly considering turning state witness and Dlunga was to follow him so that the two would corroborate each other’s statements, confess to some killings they had taken part in and implicate others in return for lighter sentences. Both Zonke and Dlunga were among the 2012 Lonmin strike leaders. The group’s legal representative Andries Nkome has denied any knowledge of such a deal. A prosecution spokesperson said he was also not aware of any deal negotiated between Dlunga and the state.